Chargers
Chargers HC Brandon Staley said they let LB Drue Tranquill walk because of the unexpected availability of LB Eric Kendricks.
“It was more about the opportunity to onboard Eric Kendricks,” Staley said via Eric Smith of the team’s website. “Very appreciative for Drue. I thought Drue played really well for us, and I wish him a lot of luck in Kansas City. It’s the tough part of this position, is seeing people that you care about, see people who played for you move on,” Staley added. “But, I think this is more about the opportunity to add what we feel like is one of the best linebackers in the NFL, a guy that I know a lot about, a guy that really fits where we’re trying to go defensively. I feel like he can bring a lot to our defense in the middle of it.”
Staley believes Kendrick’s addition to the team’s defense will be seamless.
“He’s one of the most complete linebackers in the last decade,” Staley said. “You’re talking about five to seven players that are as complete as a linebacker as he is. His instincts, his key diagnose, his ability to communicate, that energy in the middle, a true commander. Tackling machine sideline to sideline, in the box, physicality. He’s one of the best passing game linebackers in the last decade,” Staley added. “He comes from a pattern-match scheme in Mike Zimmer, which is how we play, so the scheme transition is seamless.”
Chiefs
Chiefs RB Isiah Pacheco quickly went from seventh-round draft pick to starter in Kansas City and now feels he has more to prove headed into his second season.
“As a seventh-round pick, I always had something to prove, for the doubters,” Pacheco said, via ESPN. “If you dream big, you could go get it, go grab it. That’s something I always had in mind of being on this stage, on this level. It feels unreal, but it’s real and it’s here and so I have to embrace it.”
“Being able to extend the things I’m able to do, that comes with work in the offseason,” Pacheco continued. “For me, I still feel like there’s more to improve … I’m satisfied with the [Super Bowl] win on my first [appearance], but I’m unsatisfied because I know that there’s more that could’ve been done out there. One of the [biggest] things I improved on, [is] eliminating the distractions. I could have a thousand things going on, a lot of people hitting my phone up. I just kind of sit it on silent, sit it to the side. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work.”
Pacheco recalled three goals that he wrote down on draft day and he achieved all of them during his rookie year by making the team, leading the team in rushing and helping the team to win the Super Bowl.
“It happened so fast and for me, not expecting it but dreaming of it, putting [in] the work to get here,” Pacheco noted. “I’m not surprised that the hard work got me here. I’m just surprised it happened so fast. It means the absolute world to me. Especially when you write down in your notes what your goals are and then you come back to them. For me, I’m going to come back to them, grab that pen and check them off.”
Raiders
Raiders HC Josh McDaniels earned a bad report card on the recent NFLPA survey due to his long meetings and veteran players complaining he doesn’t listen to them. It’s notable given how McDaniels has been trying for years to shake the stink off his first stint as an NFL head coach more than a decade ago with the Broncos. He said it’s important to take feedback but also to understand where it’s coming from.
“I heard it. I didn’t read the whole thing,” McDaniels said via Vic Tafur of The Athletic. “I’m aware of that. Obviously, you don’t like to hear those things. We have captain’s meetings every week and we’ll continue to talk to the leaders on our group. You never know exactly who said it and how it came across, and sometimes context is important. So, I’ll look into that and try to do whatever we can do. If there’s something that we don’t love, there’s always going to be certain things that are a give and take in terms of time and so on. We’ve looked at our entire process this offseason and we’re going to try to make every aspect of it better.”
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